I work in a nursing home. And lately I have become more aware of how precious life is in general. Since I have started working in my current profession, it is almost impossible to not connect with residents and almost equally impossible to not feel loss when the resident(s) pass away. It is a rewarding job, yet challenging when these losses occur.
An example in point:
I befriended a resident named “Lucy” almost immediately when I began my work in the activities department. When she was alert, she was a sheer joy to be around. She had THE BEST sense of humor. She would sing when asked to, make jokes and laugh constantly. When she smiled, you just couldn’t help but smile back. One of her favorite things to hold and play with was a rubber chicken. She would hold and squeeze it and make chicken sounds when the nurses passed by.
Several months ago, I was informed that Lucy would be admitted to the hospice program. It was estimated that she had only less than six months left of her precious life to live. At first, I couldn’t understand why she was admitted, she seemed no different than before. It wasn’t long after that thought that I saw Lucy cry more often, even at the simplest question. It took much encouragement to make the tears stop and she needed more physical contact than ever before. I would hold her hand and tell her that everything was fine, when both she and I knew that it wasn’t.
Two weeks ago I saw the most immediate decline in physical ability that I have ever seen. She would not eat and rarely opened her eyes. She found no joy in the activities that previously brightened her day. It was two days before she passed that I went into her room to visit her. She could no longer even make a coherent sentence; she just babbled and stared at me, falling in and out of sleep. I could not even talk for fear of crying. For a half hour, I just rubbed her shoulder and stroked her hair, hoping that her pain would end soon. She stared at me with one eye the entire time.
Two days later while I was on my lunch break, Lucy passed. I walked by her room just as a nurse had gone in to check on her. She immediately came out and asked for another nurse to help with cleaning Lucy up and getting her ready for the mortician to arrive. I asked if I could take some time to say “Goodbye” to Lucy and the nurses graciously allowed me to do so.
I kept thinking, “I was just sitting here enjoying my lunch and a great book and someone just left this earth to be with the creator!”. How does this work? How am I unable to feel something when a person leaves this earth when they are in a room less than 500 feet away from me?
But I am certain of a few things.
1. Life is precious beyond belief and beyond my understanding.
2. You must show love to your friends and family before it is too late.
3. Be thankful for your life in the past and especially the life you have NOW.
I hope that you all learn this before it is too late.
God bless everyone and EVERY LIFE on this planet!
